This invention relates to medical grafting methods and apparatus, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for installing tubular bypass grafts intralumenally.
Goldsteen et al. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/745,618, filed Nov. 7, 1996, shows, among other things, methods and apparatus for installing tubular bypass grafts intralumenally. (The Goldsteen et al. reference is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.) The Goldsteen et al. reference shows methods and apparatus in which each end of the graft site is approached separately and intralumenally, penetrated, and then a longitudinal structure (e.g., element 150 in the Goldsteen et al. reference) is established between the ends of the graft site. This longitudinal structure may extend intralumenally all the way out of the patient's body from both ends of the graft site. The graft is fed into the patient's body intralumenally along the longitudinal structure until it is in the desired position extending from one end of the graft site to the other. Each end of the graft is then secured at respective end of the graft site and the longitudinal structure is withdrawn from the patient.
It may not be necessary or desirable in some cases to separately approach both ends of the graft site.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide improved methods and apparatus for intralumenal installation of bypass grafts.
It is a more particular object of this invention to provide methods and apparatus for intralumenally installing bypass grafts which do not require both ends of the graft site to be separately approached intralumenally.